The Windsor-Plymouth playoff series in the OHL has made travel for the league’s scouts and GM easy, as consensus top-two prospects Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin are squaring off in the series. Even Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was on hand to take in the action Thursday night.

“We’ve got one guy higher than the other,” Chiarelli told Custance. “Unless there’s a monumental change in this series — but I doubt that will change our mind.”

Of course, then there’s the whole matter of the Bruins even getting a chance to pick between the two or take the one that’s still available. Toronto keeps inching up on Florida, the New York Islanders and Carolina in its attempt to escape next-to-last place in the overall standings. Nothing would stop the Bruins from trading up if they wind up with a pick outside the top two, but then Chiarelli would be in the unenviable position of convincing other GMs he has an assets worth taking.Blake Wheeler? Matt Hunwick? If you value those guys, I have some Enron stock to sell you.

Wheeler at 24-years-old could have put more pucks in the net, but the kid came straight out of college. Usually a player needs around 3-4 years of pro experience yet he has less than two and already close to 40 career goals.

Normally I would write a player off like this, but he moves well for a big man while still developing. Compare him to a player like Brian Boyle and he is light-years ahead.

He’s an RFA that’ll probably wind up being overpaid based on potential. Players his size without that killer instinct at his age rarely learn it and that leaves him at best as a third-line player who kills penalties. Maybe last year’s vanishing act was due to just more than being tired out as a first-year pro.
MK